updatai 13: khauf kee raat
haveli mein qaid arjun ka dil betahaasha dhadak raha tha. usane saamane dekha—ek vikrt chehara, adhajale baal, aur un aankhon mein ghana andhera.
vo parachhaeen dheere-dheere usakee taraf badh rahee thee.
"arjuunnnnn… too vaapas kyon aaya?"
arjun ke kadam jad ho gae. deevaar par khoon se likhee ibaarat chamakane lagee—
"sach jaanana chaahate ho? keemat chukaanee
padegee!"
hava ka tez jhonka aaya, khidakiyaan khud-ba-khud khul gaeen.
aur tabhee... "dhadaam!"
peechhe se koee cheez zor se giree. arjun jhatake se muda,
lekin vahaan sirf andhera tha.
tabhee, use apane kaan ke paas ek thandee saans mehsoos huee
— "mat jao… yahaan se zinda nahin lautoge…
" arjun ke rongate khade ho gae. usane daudane kee koshish kee, lekin usake pair jakad gae,
jaise zameen ne unhen pakad liya ho! achaanak,
kisee ne usaka
haathkasakar pakad liya!
vo saaya ab aur qareeb tha. usaka chehara aur bhee vikrt ho chuka tha. usane arjun kee aankhon mein jhaanka,
aur arjun ko laga jaise usakee aatma kisee ne kheench lee ho.
arjun ne pooree taakat se khud ko chhudaaya aur peechhe kee khidakee kee or bhaaga. vo ghabaraahat mein ladakhadaaya, girate-girate khud ko sambhaala aur poore zor se khidakee se kood gaya! "bhadaak!" arjun ghaas par gira.
havelee ke andar se ajeeb-see cheekhen aane lageen. vo bina peechhe dekhe bhaaga.
jaldi se kamare se baahar aaya aur bhagne lag. ais lag rah th
jaisai usakai pairon kai niche sai zamin gaayab ho rahaiai ho
. usai nahin pat th ki vah kahaan ja rah hai. aur phir— wah bhagtai bhagtai usai pyas lagnai lagi to wo thak gy th aur chharo aur daikh to wah nazdik hi savita ka ghar th
"savita"darwaza kholo savita nai daravaaj khola, arjun ko is haalat maiin daikhakar chhaunk gaaiai.
“arjun? ky hua?” arjun kaampata hu andar aay. “pat nahin...
koaiai th...
kuchhh th...”
savita nai dheere sai daravaaj band kiy, “shaant ho jao. ab tum surakshit ho.” arjun nai gaharaiai saans laiai.
kamarai maiin aik mand diys jal rah th savita ne arjun kee haalat dekhee—paseene se lathapath, aankhon mein khauph, saansen tez
. "are baaboojee, kya hua? aap aise kyon lag rahe hain?"
arjun andar ghusate hee ladakhadaaya. savita ne use sahaara dekar bithaaya. "savita… havelee… vahaan kuchh tha… mainne… dekha…"
arjun ke shabd toot rahe the. savita ne paanee laakar diya. "shaant ho jaie. pahale saans leejie. kya dekha aapane?" arjun kuchh bol paata,
usase pahale hee baahar se kisee ke chalane kee aavaaz aaee.
"khat… khat… khat…"
savita chaukannee ho gaee. usane daravaaze kee or dekha. "kaun hai itanee raat ko?" arjun kaanp raha tha. use laga koee usake peechhe-peechhe yahaan tak aa gaya hai. savita ne arjun ko ek najar dekha aur samajh gaee ki use dar lag raha hai. "chalie, andar aaie. main daravaaza band kar detee hoon."
arjun bheetar aaya, aur savita ne daravaaza andar se laga liya
arjun savita ne arjun ke lie ek chaarapaee bichhaee aur paas baith gaee. "aap bahut ghabarae hue hain, baaboojee.
kya sach mein kuchh dekha, ya bas vaham tha?"
arjun ne usakee or dekha. "nahin, mainne sach mein kuchh dekha. vahaan
kuchh tha… ek parachhaeen… aur deevaar par khoon se likha tha…" savita ne dheere se arjun
ka haath dabaaya.
"shaayad yah gaanv tumhen apana sach dikhaana chaahata hai. lekin daro mat, main yahaan hoon." arjun kee saansen dheere-dheere saamaany hone lageen. savita kee baaten sukoon dene vaalee theen. savita ne dheere se kaha, "aap thak gae hain, let jaie."
arjun let gaya, lekin usaka dil ab bhee tez dhadak raha tha. savita ne arjun ke
sir par haath rakha. "chinta mat karie, main yaheen hoon." arjun kee aankhen dheere-dheere bhaaree hone lageen. savita ka sparsh use shaant kar raha tha.
to be continued......
